The NBA has released the marquee games from the upcoming season. Not found in any of the prime slots? The Cleveland Cavaliers.
Tuesday morning, the NBA was set to announce the most prime games on the calendar: Opening Night and Christmas Day. While the NFL owns most holidays during its season, Christmas Day is still primarily about the NBA. And the teams to play on opening night - including the ring ceremony for the defending champions - are always a big deal.
The Cavaliers were left completely off both days of the league's calendar.
The NBA ignored the Cavaliers for its top games
This was not entirely unexpected, as there are a lot of good, interesting and star-laden teams around the NBA. Yet a couple of choices only twist the knife, and one announcement in particular is a slap to the face of the Cavaliers in general, and Donovan Mitchell in particular.
The Cavaliers have a lot of reasons for the league to showcase them. They are in a small market, yes, but they also have one of the league's most charismatic stars in Mitchell. They also made the Eastern Conference Finals last season, a feat not matched by most of the teams showcased in the schedule drop.
Between Mitchell, James Harden (thanks to his beard and State Farm, one of the most recognizable NBA players) and Evan Mobley, the Cavaliers have plenty of star power. And while last season ended in disappointment, they are bringing nearly the entire roster back and project to be a really good team once again.
And yet the league completely ignored them for its marquee matchups. Christmas Day is painful but not particularly surprising, given that the Eastern Conference suddenly got a whole lot more interesting this summer. The New York Knicks always play, but they did win the championship. The Philadelphia 76ers added Jaylen Brown and LeBron James. The Miami Heat added Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The NBA’s Christmas Day schedule is headlined by LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers visiting Los Angeles to face the Luka Dončić-led Lakers and a Spurs-at-Knicks NBA Finals rematch.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 11, 2026
The full five-game slate: pic.twitter.com/jYVJCFSOQh
The Boston Celtics? They traded away Brown, decreasing their star power and team strength. Perhaps it would make sense to have them match up with the 76ers and Brown, or maybe even the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead, they are hosting the Heat, a team they have no current connection to. Jayson Tatum over Donovan Mitchell, it appears.
Opening Night is an insult to the Cavs
Opening night is the real gut punch, however. If the league had done what it normally does, rolling out two games, it would have made sense for the Cavaliers to be left off. The Knicks would need to host someone for Ring Night, and the 76ers make plenty of sense for that. The nightcap being Oklahoma City against San Antonio, a rematch of the Western Conference Finals and the league's titanic rivalry for the next few years, also makes sense.
Three NBA games on Opening Night on Oct. 20:
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 11, 2026
Boston at Detroit
Philadelphia at New York
Oklahoma City at San Antonio pic.twitter.com/lUmg5gd5uQ
That is not what the NBA did, however -- because they added a third game. Setting aside how bizarre it will be for the NBA season to start at 3:00 PM ET, the league has the Boston Celtics visiting the Detroit Pistons.
Why?? The Celtics, as previously mentioned, are a depleted team from the one that lost in the first round last season. The Detroit Pistons almost lost in the same way, needing a Franz Wagner injury to overcome the Orlando Magic in seven games. They proceeded to lose to the Cavs in the second round.
Why are the Cavaliers not in this slot? They proved themselves a better team than the Pistons last season. Shouldn't they be hosting the Celtics? Or perhaps visiting the Pistons for a rematch? The idea that Cade Cunningham is a bigger star than Mitchell is an insult to the Cavs' star guard, and the idea that the Celtics and Pistons make a better matchup than one involving the Cavaliers is an insult to the team.
Cleveland did get a pity game on Thursday of opening week, visiting LeBron and the 76ers for Philly's home opener. But that's nothing compared to the decisions the league made elsewhere.
They don't think Donovan Mitchell is a star to showcase, and they don't think the Cavaliers are a marquee team. It will be up to Cleveland to prove them wrong and earn prime billing next season. This year, they got pushed to the kiddie table.
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